Improvement in gang-plows



KILLAM & VALLEAU.

Wheel-Plow.

Pat-ented'Mar a0, 1852.

PETERS. FHOTO-LITHOGRAPHER. WAsmNGTQN. L16.

PATENT -OrrIcE,

HARVEY KILLAM AND GEORGE VALLEAU, or SUOTTSVILLE, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN GANG-PLOWS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 8,814, dated March 30, 1852.

To all whom "it may concern:

Be it known that we, HARVEY KILLAM and GEORGE VALLEAU, ofScottsville, in thecounty of Monroe and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in \Vheeled Cultivating Gang'Plows; and wedo hereby declare the following to be a fulland exact description thereof, reference being bad to the annexed drawings, making part of this specification.

Figure 1 represents a plan or top view of the frame and the cultivating-plows attached thereto. Fig. 2 is a vertical section on the dotted lines X X of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrow 2.

The same letters of reference indicate the same parts.

My improvements consist, first, in mounting the tongue or pole upon the frame and, by means of an intermediate jointed connecting rod and horizontal coupling-rod, uniting the projecting ends of the horizontal pivoted arms which carry the axles of the propelling and supporting wheels, whereby the direction or guiding of the gang of plows is governed by the action of the team itself, without the assist ance of the attendant further than directing the team; second, confining the tongue or pole by means of afulcrum-bolt between horizontal plates and timbers for the purpose of allowing the tongue to vibrate or move out of a right line with the direction of the team, and also allowing the tongue to be shifted or adjusted on the frame to accommodate two or more horses, while at the same time the central draft of said tongue or pole with the diagonal gang of plows is maintained.

The frame consists ofastrong diagonal beam, A, from which, near the hindmost end, projects horizontally frontward an oblique beam, B, and from near the other end of the beam A projects horizontally a beam, 0, the end Whereof is united to the front end of the beam B. From the beams B C extend two horizontal parallel timbers, D E, on the projecting ends of which is mounted the tongue or pole when three horses are to be used. To the main beam, A, is secured at suitable distances apart a series of plows, F, of the usual construction and form, the sheths whereof are provided with flanges Gr, whereby they are bolted to the under side of said beam. These plows are arranged diagonally, the one behind the other, and each having its landside parallel to the central line,'3, wherebythe sward of each succeeding plow is made to fill the furrow made by each preceding plow, thus completely turning and burying the sward from each furrow, and at the same time filling each furrow, and thus leveling the soil.

To each end of the diagonal beam A, at the top and bottom thereof, is bolted a plate, H, between which are confined by pivot-bolts I horizontal arms J, in which are mounted the axles of the propelling and supporting wheels K. Thearm Jot the forward end of the beam A extends horizontally rearward, and the arm J of the hindmost wheel extends frontward,

and the ends of the two are connected by a horizontal coupling-rod, L, in such manner as to allow the said arms to turn and thus vibrate the axles of the wheels, or sufi'er them to vibrate, and also whereby the said axles are kept at right angles to the motion of the plows when said motion is in adirect line, and when turning the plows the axle of each wheel will be on a radial line with the'circle formed by the line or track of said wheel.

Upon each of the arms J there is mounted a plate, M, a portion of which forms the seg ment of a circle, and is cogged or toothed, into which matches the dog N of a lever, O, the latter being pivoted at P, Fig. 2, to the plate M, and also provided with asegment-rack, Q, which matches with a vertical rack-plate, R, confined in grooves on the outside of the plate M, and from which the axle K of the Wheel projects horizontally outward, and thus forms an apparatus for elevating and depressing the wheels for regulating, the depth of the plows into the soil, or for raising the same entirely out of the soil, as may be required. As this apparatus, however, forms no part of our claim, it therefore need not be particularly described.

Fig. 1 represents the position of the tongue or pole A when adapted for two, three, or more horses. 1

On the projecting end of the timberD is mounted the tongue or pole A and confined between said timber and a horizontal plate, S, by means of the fulcrumbolt U, while the rear end of said tongue or pole is confined between a plate, V, and the timber E, and is connected by a joint-pin, T, to the end of a short intermediate connecting rod, W. the other end whereof is united by a joint, X, to near the middle of the horizontal coupling-rod L of the arms J'J.

To the end of the diagonal timbers B 0 there are secured two plates, a b, the ends whereof 1 that shown in the drawings. By this manner of mounting the tongue or pole, and confining it by the t'ulcrumbolt U, and uniting it through the intermediate connecting-rod,W, to the projecting ends of the pivoted arms J J of the vibratin g axles K it will be seen that the direction or guiding ot' the gang of plows is regulated by the action of the team itself, whereby the tongue or pole is moved or turned upon its fulcrum-bolt U to the right or left, which communicates the same movement to the pivoted arms J, and thus vibrates the axles of the wheels K in such a manner as to cause them to maintain a position nearly coincident with the radius of the circle formed by the track of each wheel.

' The attendant of this machine is only required to guide the team, and the direction of the wheels with their axles is governed accordingly, thereby saving much time in turning or moving out of adirect line while the plows are raised from the soil. The adjustment of the tongue or pole in relation to its height, from the soil to cause the points of the plows to take more or less into the earth is ef, fected by means of washers c d, placed on the timber D beneath the tongue and between the horizontal plate S and tongue. Thus when the washers are removed from beneath the tongue and placed above the same the latter will be depressed and the points of the plows will be lowered in the same proportion. The

fulcrum-bolt U of the tongue passes through the horizontal plate S, washers 0 d, and timber D, and is secured by means of a nut.

The connection of the team with the pole is effected by inserting the end of the pole into the ring of an ordinary neck-yoke in the same manner as those used for common wagons.

Having thus described our improvements in the wheeled cultivating gang-plow, we will state that we are aware that axles of wheels have been hung to the frame of the carriage so as to vibrate, or be sutfered to vibrate, and keep them at right angles to the motion of the plows when moving in adirect line and when the plows are turning, the axles being made to assume a line in the direction of the radius of theeircle formed by the track of each wheel. We are also aware that gangs of plows have been placed diagonally one behind the other, and the wheels of the carriage of the same also placed diagonally one behind the other. Therefore we lay no claim to these parts; but

What we do claim as ourimprovement, and desireto secure by Letters Patent, isv 1. Mounting the tongue or pole A upon the timbers D E, and uniting the same by an intermediate jointed connecting-rod, W, to the horizontal coupling-rod L, which unites the front and rearward ends of the pivoted arms J J of the axles K whereby the direction or guiding-of the gang of plows is regulated by the action of the team itself in moving in any direction the attendant may require.

2. Gopfining the tongue or pole A between the horizontal plate S and timberD by means of a fulcrum-bolt, U, for the purpose of allowing the tongue or pole A to vibrate or move right or left with the direction ot' the team, whereby the required direction is given to the propelling and supporting wheels, and where by the tongue or pole may be shifted or adjusted in its position to accommodate two or three horses and yet maintain its central draft with the plows.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto signed our names before two subscribing witnesses. HARVEY KILLAM. GEORGE VALLEAU. Witnesses:

ALVIN SAVAGE, W. G. ASHBY. 

